Process and apparatus for producing solid carbon-dioxide



Sept. 8, 1931 J. STOFFELS 1,322,788

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PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SOLID CARBON DIOXIDE Filed April21,' 1930 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Ill Sept. 8, 1931. J. S I'OFFELS 1,822,788

PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SOLID-CARBON DIOXIDE Filed April-21,1930, 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Fig.7 (43 l 29 2g 25 Jmfflmls Patented Sept. 8,1931 PATENT. OFFICE J'OSEF STOFFELS, OF ESSLINGEfi-ON-THE-NECKAR,GERMANY PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING SOLID CARBON-DIOXIDEApplication filed April 21, 1930, Serial No. 446,138, and in GermanyApril 7, 1928.

The production of carbon dioxide snow by evaporation of liquid carbondioxide in expansion cylinders is well known. For further use the carbondioxide snow must be brought into a more compact form by the applicationof pressure. The common way of doing this is by shovelling the snow outof the chamber in which it is produced and pouring it into a specialpress cylinder for compressing it. This process is bothersome andexpensive and results in considerable loss of carbon dioxide byevaporation.

To avoid these disadvantages it has already been proposed to compressthe carbon dioxide in the same cylinder in which the carbon dioxide snowis produced, or in a press cylinder which is built in with the expansioncylinder. However, there is the disadvantage in this method that everycylinder for producing the snow must be equipped with a press, so thatthe whole layout becomes large and costly.

According to the invention the disadvantages of both of the knownprocesses are avoided by first transforming the liquid carbon dioxideinto carbon dioxide snow in an expansion chamber, in the known mannerfor compressing, this carbon dioxide snow is then discharged from theexpansion chamber directly into a press cylinder brought intocommunication with the expansion chamber from time to time, the transferbeing made without the snow coming into harmful contact with theatmosphere. The snow is then compressed in the press cylinderindependent of the progress of the ex ansion process. In this way it ispossible without anything further to use a single press cylinder for arelatively large number of snow producing chambers, pressing a givenquantity of snow is only a fraction of the time spent in producing that,

quantity of snow. Theapparatus can therefore be constructed Very simplyand cheaply. In order to prevent, as far as possible, such contact withthe atmosphere as would cause evaporation of the snow, the presscylinder may be temporarily so connected with the lower covers of thesnow producing chambers that it automatically takes the place of sincethe time required for com-- the cover as the latter is removed. As soonas the column of snow has fallen into the press cylinder, the latter isremoved in the reverse direction and brought back under the press,whereby the column of snow is automatically cut ofl and prevented fromdropping further by the lower cover of the snow producing cylinder.

The drawings show diagrammatically, by way of example, several forms ofapparatus embodying the invention.

Fig. 1 shows an elevation of the simplest manually operated form,

Fig. 2 is an elevation of an apparatus with six snow producing chambersw1th hydrauli-- cally operated discharging device,

Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of the apparatus shown in Fig.2,

Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing a detail,

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of another form of apparatus in which thepress cylinder and press for compressing the snow are mounted on atraveling carriage,

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 5,

Fig. 7 is 'a vertical sectionthrough the compressing device on a largerscale, and Fi 8 is a portion of the section shown in Fig. with the partsin another position.

Similar parts in the various figures are indicated by the same referencecharacters.

The invention will first be described with reference to Figs. 2-4. On aniron scafl'old 1 are mounted snow producing chambers 2, six being shownin this case. Liquid carbon dioxide is led into these chambers through amain conduit 3 and branch conduits 4 running to injection nozzles 12. Inthe chambers 2 the carbon dioxide leaving the nozzles is partiallyvaporized by expansion, whereby a large part of the carbon dioxide iscooled sufliciently to be converted into snow. The gaseous carbondioxide developed in this way is let off through conduits "13, 14,re-condensed, and again returned to the cycle.

With the scaffold 1 is connected a supporting frame 5, for a hydraulicpress 6 arranged centrally between the expansion chambers. On a platform7 a movable press cylinder 8 can be brought under the several expansion10.

chambers. In the position shown in Fig. 2 the press cylinder 8 is underthe hydraulic press 6; in this position its contents can be compressedby the press to solid ice blocks. The operating water of the press 6 isled to and from the press b conduits 15, 16. After the compression haseen completed the press cylinder 8 can be removed to the positionindicated at 17 in Fig. 3 and tilted up so that it can be easilyemptied.

When the cylinder 8 is to be filled with carbon dioxide snow it is movedalong the plat form 7 to a position in front of the snow producingcylinder from which it is to be filled. By means of a screw 18 or anyother easily operated connection, the press cylinder is connected to thelower cover 11 of the expansion chamber 2. The cover is in turnconnected in any suitable way to a piston rod 10 of a fluid pressuremotor 9 (see Fig. 4) The operating fluid is led to and from the motor 9by conduits 19 and 20. By movement of the piston 21 of motor 9 the cover11 is immediately removed from the chamber 2 and.

simultaneously the press cylinder is brought under'the expansion chamberin such a way that the carbon dioxide snow drops directly into it,without coming into contact with the outer air. When the cylinder 8 isfilled with snow in this way it is removed from the expansion chamber byreversed operation of the piston 21, at the same time the column of snowis cut oli by the rear edge of the press cylinder and the chamber 2 isagain closed by cover 11. Thereupon the coupling 18 between cylinder 8and cover 11 is disconnected and the press cylinder is brought under thepress 6, where the snow is compressed in the manner described above.

Fig. 1 shows a somewhat simpler arrangement in which the movement 'ofthe press cylinder 8 and the lower cover 11 of the expansion cylinder 2is manually effected by means of the hand wheel 31 and spindle 22. Theconnection between cover 11 and spindle 22 as wellas cylinder 8 can bethe same as the connections of the corresponding parts in Fi .4. V

A urther development-of the device as illustrated in Figs. 5 to 8consists essentially in the arrangement of the press cylinder togetherwith the press on a traveling carriage 23, which can be moved under theseveral snow producing chambers as desired. With this apparatus thecompression of the snow can take place while the press cylinder isconnected with the snow producing chamber, so that the whole contents ofa snow producing chamber can be compressed in successive pressingoperations without changing the position of the press cylinder. As inthe apparatus shown in Figs. 2-4, there are mounted on a scaflold 1 sixsnow producing cylinders 2, to which the liqplid e carbon dioxide is ledby conduits 3, 4

carbon dioxide which is not solidified is let oil by conduits 13, 14.The carbon dioxide snow is compressed by a horizontally arranged presscylinder 29 mounted on the carriage 23 which can be moved upon tracksperpendicular to the axis of the snow producin chambers. The presscylinder 29 is broug t under the several snow producing chambers 2 insuch a way that the carbon dioxide snow is discharged into it withoutcoming in contact with the outer air. When a snow producing chamber hasbeen emptied,

the press cylinder is removed, the lower cover 11 being automaticallymoved under the snow produclng chamber in the manner previouslydescribed. The compression of the snow takes place while the presscylinder is connected to the snow producing chamber, a

hydraulic motor 24 being used for this purpose. The cover 25 of thepress cylinder 29 is held in position by a hydraulic counterpressurepiston 27 in cylinder 26. At the end of each compressing process thecover 25 is removed hydraulically, while the piston in cylinder 29supports the column of snow in c amber 2 which it cut off at thebeginning of the pressing operation. Then the contents of the presseyllnder 29 are pushed out by piston 28 (Fig. 8) and the press cylinderis then closed again, After that the next pressing operation can begin.After emptying one snow producing chamber the pressing device is movedunder another chamber,

where the same procedure is repeated.

This application is a continuation in part of my co-pending application,Serial No. 351,023, filed March 29, 1929.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. The method of producing solid carbon dioxide, which consists incausing liquid carbon dioxide to expand into a plurality of expansionchambers, to produce carbon dioxide snow in said chambers; re eatedyfilling a movable ress cylinder wit snow from one after anot er of saidexpansion chambers, in such a manner as to substantially prevent contactofthe outer atmosphere with the snow; compressing the snow in saidpresscylinder each time it is filled, to form a solid block of carbondioxide; and discharging each solid block from said press chamber afterit is formed.

2. Apparatus for-producing solid carbon dioxide, comprising a pluralityof expansion chambers for roducing carbon dioxide snow, a press cyliner, means whereby said press cylinder can be selectively put incommunication with any one of said chambers to receive a charge of snowtherefrom, and a press for compressingthe snow in said press I a press,a press cylinder, and means whereby chambers for produclng carbondioxide snow, each of said chambers having a discharge portand a covertherefor, a press cylinder, means whereby said press cylinder can bebrought into and out of communication with the discharge port of any oneof said chambers, means whereby the cover of said discharge port issimultaneously removed as said press cylinder is brought intocommunication with said discharge port and a press for compressing thesnow in said press cylinder.

'5. Apparatus for producing solid carbon dioxide comprising a pluralityof expansion chambers for producing carbon dioxide snow, each of saidchambers having adischarge port and a cover therefor, a press cylinder,means whereby said press, cylinder can be brought into and out ofcommunication with the discharge port of any one of said chambers, meanswhereby the cover of said discharge port is simultaneously removed assaid press cylinder is brought into communication with said dischargeport and restored as said press cylinder is removed from said dischargeport, and a press for compressing the snow in said press cylinder.

6. Apparatus for producing solid carbon dioxide, comprising a pluralityof expansion chambers for producing carbon dioxide snow, each of saidchambers having a discharge port and a cover therefor, a press cylinder,a press for compressing snow in said cylinder, a carriage upon whichsaid press cylinder and press are mounted, whereby said press c lindercan be moved under any one of sai expansion chambers, means for couplingsaid press cylinder with the discharge port of any one of said expansionchambers, and means for eifecting the simultaneous movement of saidpress cylinder and the cover of the discharge port with which it isbeing connected or disconnected.

7. Apparatus for producing solid carbon dioxide, comprising a pluralityof expansion chambers for producing carbon dioxide snow, a presscylinder, apress for compressin snow in said cylinder, a carriage uponWlllll, said press and press cylinder are mounted, whereby said presscylinder can be moved under any one of said expansion chambers, andmeans whereby said press cylinder can be put in communication with anyone of said expansion chambers to receive a charge of snow therefrom.

8. Apparatus for producing solid carbon dioxide, comprising a pluralityof expansion chambers for producing carbon dioxide snow, a carriagemovable under said expan-v sion chambers, a press cylinder horizontallymounted on said carriage, said 0 linder having an open end, a piston insai cylinder, a cover for closing the open end of said cylinder, motorson said carriage for moving said piston and said cover, and means forselectively connecting said press cylinder with said expansion chambersto receive charges of snow therefrom. a

The foregoing specification signed at Stuttgart, Germany, this tenth dayof April, 1930.

'JOSEF STOFFELS.

